In March of this year, eSIM-capable iWatch Series 3 was first installed with the LTE data connection function, allowing it to operate independently, without having to connect to the iPhone. The two-day hot discussion of Apple’s press conference, the focus of attention is that Apple has launched eSIM-capable new mobile phones. Apple has not only triggered the industry’s hot discussion on eSIM, but also helped eSIM enter the consumer’s field of vision, showing a trend of the original.
Nowadays, all kinds of popular question-answer platforms and knowledge communities, such as zhihu(Chinese version of Quora）, Goku Q&A, etc, all full of discussion about the impact of eSIM. It is optimistic that the development of eSIM has been unstoppable, showing the trend of the pervasive expansion. Apple’s promotion will also play an important role in guiding the market and promoting the upgrading of the entire terminal industry chain in the future.
As mentioned by the author of the forum, the dual-card dual-standby function of the mainstream Android mobile phone brand in China has already become a standard, and has already launched the international Internet access function, which is the battle to occupy the spare card slot. This function is mainly realized based on eSIM technology. By providing users with overseas mobile data services, users go through the mobile phone brand’s own app, you can choose the country or region you want to go, buy a suitable package for your own traffic package, users open the service upon arriving, no plug When the physical SIM card is replaced, the server will send the corresponding local carrier resources to the user’s mobile phone terminal to connect to the network, which is simple and convenient, and is cheap and easy to use.
After Huawei Skyline, the products launched by various mobile phone brands include: OPPO “internet”, vivo “i roaming”, Xiaomi “millet roaming”, OnePlus “global Internet”, and the service providers that cooperate with them are Reatea mobile. In addition, in the similar services launched by Samsung (China), Meizu, Hammer, Lenovo, Nubia, Nokia, Candy, Hisense and other mobile phone brands, Redtea Mobile has also been found as a service provider. A closer look at this company, the original technology company has been the old driver of eSIM international roaming service for many domestic Android mobile phone brands since 2015.
So far, Redtea Mobile has provided overseas network services for more than two dozen mainstream Android mobile phone brands, covering 100 million terminal devices.
The profiles of the SIM card can be remotely provisioned on the device in the air, which is the key to implement eSIM. Simply put, it is to embed the traditional SIM card directly on the device chip, and then realize the function of the traditional SIM card by dynamically changing and writing the operator data. For the user, there is no need to eject the card to replace the SIM card, and it is possible to switch between different operator networks as easy as changing the channel with a TV remote control. Today, I use Reatea Mobile as a case to check out the new features based on eSIM technology on mobile phones.
- Exclusive data package
It is also called dedicated traffic package. Its core strength is not to rely on the carrier network. It can offer separate traffic packets for specific programs to create different types of exclusive traffic packets to meet the needs of different groups of people. For example, outbound travel app packages, exclusive traffic package for gaming, dedicated traffic package for live broadcast, etc.
- “off-the-grid” service
It allows users to purchase the roaming service built by Redtea Mobile on the mobile phone without connecting to the Internet, and connect to the server in the area (as shown below), so that users can purchase the data package of the destination country or region. And opened for activation.
- Mobile phone retrieval function even without card or network
Even if the user’s mobile phone SIM card is unplugged, the mobile cellular data is not connected, and it is not in the Wi-Fi environment, as long as the[Find Mobile Phone] function on the mobile phone is turned on, the behavior of abnormal operation of the mobile phone would be automatically monitored, and the global search would be triggered with bootstrapped network resources to force networking, regardless of the place, to ensure that the user’s mobile phone is always in touch.
eSIM can be applied in versatile scenarios, but the promotion of eSIM relies on the support of operators. The world’s major mainstream operators have joined the team to promote the development Apple eSIM platforms.
In addition, on June 7, 2018, Thai operator TrueMove H launched the eSIM-capable smart watches; on June 10, Japanese operator KDDI announced cooperation with Toyota to launch eSIM-capable cars; June 13, Hungarian operator Magyar Telekom first launched the eSIM card, and Huawei Smart Watch became the pioneer of the device capable of the eSIM function.
Looking at the domestic market, on March 7, 2018, China Unicom took the lead in launching the ‘eSIM dual terminal’ business in six cities including Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou and Changsha. On April 6th, China Unicom invited OTT, OEM, chip module manufacturer, SIM card, eSIM technology service provider and other industry forces to establish ‘eSIM Industry Cooperation Alliance’ (Redtea Mobile is honored to be the first member of the alliance), aiming to create a comprehensive eSIM intelligence ecosystem. In addition, on May 25, China Mobile’s subsidiary, China Mobile, officially launched the “China Mobile Inside Program”, and released the domestic pioneer eSIM chip to provide ‘chip + eSIM + connection service’; on June 1, China Mobile officially launched the “eSIM Dual Terminal” business in seven pilot cities including Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu.
eSIM applications are expanding, and don’t forget that eSIM is also targeting a larger connectivity market, the Internet of Things. Due to space, environment and other restrictions, traditional SIM cards that need to be replaced frequently cannot adapt to large-scale IoT deployment.
The emergence of eSIM is not to disrupt the operator ecosystem,, but to generate a new growth point for the operator. The Internet of Things is a massive market for eSIM and a future market for operators. From the connection between people and families to the connection of everything, from the consumer field to the vertical field, this is a big leap forward for operators. To put it bluntly, the connection between people and families has come to an end, the demographic dividend has gone, the market is saturated, and the Internet of Everything is the next point for outbursting growth for operators.
It is said that operators, chipset and module manufacturers, card vendors, equipment manufacturers, and solution providers represented by Reatea Mobile have begun to invest , develop, and exert their strengths in the Internet of Things. With the continuous maturity of eSIM specifications and technologies, and the open support of more operators, if Apple successfully enters the market through mobile phones supporting eSIM, its market share and influence will promote the large-scale application of eSIM technology. eSIM not only has great significance in the field of consumer electronics, but also drives the rapid development of the Internet of Things, with great room for imagination.